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    Demanding Syl Lab Us Web

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    Lam Sin Wing
    This document provides an overview of the Philosophy 525 course "How Demanding is Morality?" held at Princeton University. The course will examine questions around how demanding morality is by exploring whether moral dilemmas are possible, if 'ought' implies 'can', and the nature of supererogatory actions. The course is structured around guest lectures and assigned readings on these three topics. Graduate students can receive course credit by completing a class presentation, short paper, and longer research paper or by doing a presentation and taking a written exam.

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    Demanding Syl Lab Us Web

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    Lam Sin Wing
    42 views3 pages
    This document provides an overview of the Philosophy 525 course "How Demanding is Morality?" held at Princeton University. The course will examine questions around how demanding morality is by exploring whether moral dilemmas are possible, if 'ought' implies 'can', and the nature of supererogatory actions. The course is structured around guest lectures and assigned readings on these three topics. Graduate students can receive course credit by completing a class presentation, short paper, and longer research paper or by doing a presentation and taking a written exam.

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    Demanding Syl Lab Us Web

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    This document provides an overview of the Philosophy 525 course "How Demanding is Morality?" held at Princeton University. The course will examine questions around how demanding morality is by exploring whether moral dilemmas are possible, if 'ought' implies 'can', and the nature of supererogatory actions. The course is structured around guest lectures and assigned readings on these three topics. Graduate students can receive course credit by completing a class presentation, short paper, and longer research paper or by doing a presentation and taking a written exam.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    42 views3 pages

    Demanding Syl Lab Us Web

    Uploaded by

    Lam Sin Wing
    This document provides an overview of the Philosophy 525 course "How Demanding is Morality?" held at Princeton University. The course will examine questions around how demanding morality is by exploring whether moral dilemmas are possible, if 'ought' implies 'can', and the nature of supererogatory actions. The course is structured around guest lectures and assigned readings on these three topics. Graduate students can receive course credit by completing a class presentation, short paper, and longer research paper or by doing a presentation and taking a written exam.

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    Philosophy 525.

    How Demanding is Morality?

    Wednesdays
    1:00-3:50pm

    Marx 201

    In this course, we will take up some questions that fall within the question, How
    demanding is morality?
    Are moral dilemmas possible? A moral dilemma is a case in which a person
    morally ought to A, morally ought to B, and is unable to both A and B. If moral
    dilemmas are possible, then morality is very demanding, in one sense.
    Relatedly: which moral systems allow moral dilemmas? Which rule them out?
    Does accepting that ought implies can rule out moral dilemmas?
    Is it true that ought implies can? If not, then morality is very demanding.
    Are some actions supererogatory? If so, how can we understand this category of
    action? Supererogatory actions are morally good things to do; one is praiseworthy if one
    does them. But they are not morally required. If there are moral reasons in favor of these
    actions, and the actions are not impermissible, why are the actions not morally required?
    If some actions are supererogatory, then morality is not as demanding as it might
    otherwise be.
    Can morality require me to sacrifice my own life? If the only way to save my
    own life is to kill someone, is this morally wrong? If the only way to save my own life is
    to kill someone, am I blameworthy for doing so?

    1. Are there genuine moral dilemmas? Does ought imply can?

    Wednesday, September 21:


    Ethical Consistency by Bernard Williams (1965)
    What Moral Dilemmas Are by Walter Sinnott-Armstrong (Chapter 1 of Moral
    Dilemmas) (1988)

    Wednesday, September 28:


    Arguments for Moral Dilemmas by Sinnott-Armstrong (Chapter 2)
    Moral Dilemmas and Consistency in Ethics by Terrance McConnell (1978)
    Against Moral Dilemmas by Earl Connee (1982)
    Some Opponents by Sinnott-Armstrong (Chapter 3)

    Wednesday, October 5:
    Moral Dilemmas and Consistency by Ruth Barcan Marcus (1980)
    The Argument from Ought Implies Can by Sinnott-Armstrong (Chapter 4)

    1
    The Argument from Ought and Ought Not by Sinnott-Armstrong (Chapter 5)
    The Diversity of Moral Dilemma by Peter Railton (1996)
    Moral Dilemmas, Gaps, and Residues: A Kantian Perspective by Thomas Hill
    (1996)

    The seminar will not meet on Wednesday, October 12, but will instead meet:

    ** Friday, October 14, 1:15-3:45pm **


    Geoff Sayre-McCord (UNC) will be a guest professor for this session.
    A Moral Argument Against Moral Dilemmas by Geoff Sayre-McCord
    (manuscript)
    The Fragmentation of Value by Thomas Nagel (1979)

    Wednesday, October 19: Does Ought Imply Can?


    Peter Graham (UMass) will be a guest professor for this session.
    Ought and Ability by Peter Graham (2011)
    Consistency by Sinnott-Armstrong (Chapter 6)

    2. Are some actions supererogatory? If so, what is the nature of supererogatory


    action?

    Wednesday, October 26:


    Saints and Heroes by J. Urmson (1958)
    Supererogation and Offence: A Conceptual Scheme for Ethics by R. Chisholm
    (1963)

    Wednesday, November 9:
    The Suberogatory by Julia Driver (1992)
    Promising and Supererogation by Jason Kawall (2005)
    Self-regarding Supererogatory Actions by Jason Kawall (2003)

    Wednesday, November 16:


    Ruth Chang (Rutgers) will be a guest professor for this session.
    manuscript on voluntarist reasons by Ruth Chang

    Wednesday, November 23:


    Kantian Ethics and Supererogation by M. Baron (1987)
    Kant on Imperfect Duty and Supererogation by T. Hill (1971)
    Virtue Theory, Ideal Observers, and the Supererogatory by Jason Kawall (2009)

    Wednesday, November 30:


    Ben Bradley (Syracuse) will be a guest professor for this session.
    Against Satisficing Consequentialism by Ben Bradley (2006)

    2
    3. When an agents life is threatened, what does morality require? How
    blameworthy can one be if one acts to save ones own life?

    Wednesday, December 7:
    Gideon Rosen (Princeton) will be a guest professor for this session.
    Evil and Ordinary Decency by Gideon Rosen (manuscript)
    Self-defense and the Problem of the Innocent Attacker by Jeff McMahan (1994)
    Self-defense by Judith Jarvis Thomson (1991)

    Wednesday, December 14:


    Understanding Some Cases of Altruism as Permissible Mistakes by Elizabeth
    Harman (manuscript)

    Getting Credit for the Course:

    Graduate students in the philosophy department can take the course for credit to earn a
    unit in either of the following ways:

    1. Do one class presentation, write one 5-6 page paper due in week six, and write
    one 15-20 page paper due during reading period (the week after classes end).
    2. Do one class presentation and take a written exam on the course material during
    reading period.

    Graduate students in the politics department can take the course for credit and get a grade
    by taking option 1 above.

    Any student auditing the course can give a class presentation.

    Any students other than Princeton philosophy or political theory PhD students need the
    permission of the instructor to attend the course.

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